Music reviews and interviews on all things pop and rock as well as everything in between

Junior Danger

2017 saw Brisbane swamp rock kings Junior Danger unleash their blues brothers thumper Dirt and Grime upon the world capturing hearts and minds. Launching into 2018 with their signature stoner rock swag and eleven catchy tunes, this smoking three piece deliver their self-titled debut album JUNIOR DANGER. The band drop by to answer a few questions for Hi Fi Way: The Pop Chronicles.

Recorded at Brisbane’s Airlock Studios, engineered and produced by none other than Konstantin Kersting (The Belligerents) the album is laden with dirty ass riffs, grimy fuzz and bass lines fatter than yo mamma. “We went into the studio to challenge ourselves to produce a full album of music we can be proud of rather than just a Single or EP, now we can’t wait to do the next one” Junior Danger

Do you feel proud as punch knowing the album is done, dusted and out there now for people to enjoy?
It’s a great feeling. It’s like a weight has been lifted off our shoulders to finally have it out there. The best way I can describe it is like that first time you took a bite into a Streets Golden Gaytime. Do it once and you’re hooked. I can wait to do another lap around the track.

Was it the most challenging thing you have ever done?
Recording the debut album is definitely up there. A lot of time and money goes into it and you’ve got to make sacrifices along the way. Of course as with every challenge you take it on for the reward you receive at the end and this was well worth it.

What was the biggest learning you took away from the experience?
That’s easy, going to the pub every night after the recording session had finished might sound like a good idea at the time, but the next morning when you’re stepping into the studio a little dusty all of a sudden you question the wisdom of your choices. I’m not sure we ever learnt the lesson though as we kept repeating the behaviour.

What’s your favourite track from the album and why?
For me it’s Black River Automatic… at the moment anyway. It’s a rumbling freight train of fuzz guitars and huge drums. It’s a great song to play live and it just feels real good to play it.

How would you describe the band to someone clueless about music?
In three words… Lust, Sleaze and Romance.

How did the band get together?
Originally I put it together with a clear idea of what I wanted Junior Danger to be and over the years it’s continued to develop. I soon recruited the services of The Colonel (Tom) who at the time was playing in a couple of other local bands we often gigged with and The Belligerent Grandad (Damien) joined us further down the road.

Where did the name Junior Danger come from?
To be honest I can’t remember exactly where it came from but he was invented during a late night drinking session. What I do know is we wanted an alias, someone we could blame things on when we misbehaved. There’s always consequence for our actions but Junior Danger has no consequence.

What are the common influences that have shaped the band’s music?
The biggest common influences for the band would definitely include Nick Cave, QOTSA, Mark Lanegan, Neil Young, The Rolling Stones, ZZ Top to name a few. We all just love good rock and roll that gets the boots scooting.

Are there ideas kicking around for another album or EP?
The album has been finished for over a year now so we are already elbow deep in the song writing process for the next one. I did the majority of the writing on the debut album but we’re taking a slightly different approach this time round and The Colonel has really stepped up his input. This time round we are starting by writing solid songs with a ‘don’t bore us get to the chorus’ attitude. Once we’ve got the tracks down we intend to sprinkle some love over the top and see what comes out. Stay tuned…

Any plans to tour Australia or overseas more extensively?
We have a three Date tour coming up in February starting at The New Globe in Brissie on the 3rd, The Last Chance Rock n Roll Bar in Melbourne on the 16th, then Sydney at our favourite venue in the country on the 18th, Frankie’s Pizza By The Slice. We’d love to tour overseas at some stage in the future when the timing is right which is always the difficult part.

What’s the plan from here?
We don’t plan too well in Junior Danger. It’s more a case of taking a step off a ledge and holding on for the ride.